Private Housing Projects Poised for Rebound
Glenigan forecasts that underlying private housing project starts, those valued below £100 million, will recover after a difficult 2025, growing by 6% in 2026 and by 18% in 2027.
Economics director Allan Wilén said wages are still rising faster than inflation, and inflation and interest rates are both expected to ease over the coming year. Higher household incomes and cheaper borrowing should lift buyer confidence and activity. A backlog of high-rise schemes awaiting Building Safety Regulator approval weighed on 2025, but it is now being cleared, which should particularly help London, where many private schemes are apartments.
Private housing features strongly in Glenigan's list of the 100 largest projects due to start in 2026, with 26 residential schemes worth a combined £4.8 billion. The largest is Daejan Holdings' £577 million development at Marsh Wall in Central London. Ten more London schemes make the list, including the £423 million phase 1B of Meridian Water in Enfield and the £300 million Albert and Swedish Wharf scheme in Hammersmith.
Below that level, Glenigan has identified 5,774 private housing developments due to start this year. The South East leads with 981, from Persimmon's 165 homes in Chichester to Berkeley's 165-unit Turnden scheme in Kent, followed by London with 736.
Planning applications for more than 56,000 private homes were submitted in 2025. Barratt Redrow tops the table with 7,884 units, including further phases at Martello Lakes in Hythe, followed by Taylor Wimpey (5,471), Persimmon (4,809), Bloor (4,509), Bellway (4,340), Vistry (3,161), Berkeley (1,792), Miller (1,721), Story (1,226) and CALA (997). Persimmon's schemes include 508 homes, a country park and a road bridge at Murton Steads Farm near Newcastle.
With economic conditions improving and regulatory delays easing, Glenigan expects two strong years for the sector.
